


Writing Months

by justdreadwolfing



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2019-01-09 10:36:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12274647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justdreadwolfing/pseuds/justdreadwolfing
Summary: A collection of prompts that span over Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2 and Dragon Age Inquisition.  Fluff, angst, nonsense, there's no telling what may happen.





	1. October Day 1 Hero of Ferelden

**Author's Note:**

> I've decided to do a sort of thing for Inktober, but then I'm expanding it. I have a list of prompts that I'll be going through throughout the rest of this year. October, I'll be doing Dragon Age: Origins, November will be Dragon Age 2 and then December will be Dragon Age Inquisition. These are in no particular order and should be fun especially since I've never written anything about my Warden or Hawke. I hope you enjoy! They may possibly be really short, so they shouldn't take too long to read.

"Are you ready, my lady? The crowds outside are getting restless.” The guard spoke, a proud smile spreading across his face.

“I just need a moment.” 

“Of course ma’am,” The guard bowed to her as Meredith tried to focus her attention on something less terrifying. As a Cousland, she had been used to talking to large groups of people. Her father insisted that become a skill she learned as early as possible, but she was not used to a large group of people coming primarily for her. Hounding her. While those people would greet her, they came for her father. She was a nobody who just so happened to be the daughter of an arl. 

Deep breaths… 

Maker, she wished she could talk to her father now. 

She leaned up against the stone wall, her eyes raising as she tried to recall some advice that her father had given her throughout her lifetime that could apply to this particular situation. 

“I’m right here beside you, you know?” The words were comforting, but they didn’t belong to her father. Meredith looked over towards Alistair who had somehow managed to sneak up beside her without her even having noticed. His warm smile was comforting, a wave of relaxation flowed through her being as she smiled back. 

“I know. I should be used to this, I just…” Her attention waved over the group of people who stood throughout the room. She was surrounded by her friends, those who supported her, even Fergus. They all rooted for her. Everyone except one. “I just wish my father was here to see this.” 

In an instant, she felt his hand slip into hers and grip it firmly. “He would be proud of you. He’s watching, I know he is.” Alistair lifted her hand and kissed the back of it gaining Meredith’s attention back. She smiled at him. 

“If nothing else, I’m glad you’re here beside me. I couldn’t have done this without you.” Standing up straight, she turned back towards the door preparing herself. 

“Mer, you know and I both know you basically did. I was just there to look pretty.” 

Meridith laughed, leaning over to place a small kiss on his cheek. Despite the fact that they had been dating for a while now, the gesture always sent a small blush running across his nose. While the events of the previous night still left a bitter taste in her mouth, she was glad that they were both here together. Nothing would separate them now. “That you did. Maybe sometime soon, you could actually lend a hand.” 

Alistair reacted, placing a hand over his heart. “Ouch. Right in the pride.” 

“Alright, are you ready for this?” She placed her hands on her hips and took one last deep breath. She bent forward only slightly so that she had to look up at him mischievously with a knowing grin. “I hope you weren’t expecting to get away from me now that you’ve volunteered to be my escort.” 

“This plan obviously backfired,” Alistair chuckled as he stood up straight, taking his rightful place beside her once more. 

“Indeed it did.” She took Alistair’s hand, looking towards the guard again. “Alright, I think I’m ready.” She then lowered her voice so that only Alistair could hear her. “Hopefully my dad can see this.” 

Alistair squeezed her hand as the guards placed their hands on the door. “Just imagine everyone in their smallclothes and you’ll be all set. If that doesn’t help, let’s just get out there so we can get this over with and I can have you all to myself again.” 

Meredith nodded in agreement. The doors opened slowly and as the light broke through the doors, she knew that her family was there. 

Even though she couldn’t see them, she knew.


	2. October Day 2 Awakening Warden

The soft rumbles that came from the cat laying on her chest, soothed her. The small orange cat kneaded her softly as it had been for some time now as he and Meredith slipped from needing eyes. She had found this a great way for her to relax as the demands became unbearable. Between Ferelden still recuperating from the Blight, rebuilding the Wardens and now having to find this Mother and her kin, being Warden Commander had become far more stressful than she had hoped. She had become reliant on Alistair to calm her nerves and now that he was nowhere in sight, she had to find comfort in other things.

Meredith ran her hand along Sir Pounce-A-Lot’s back, the purring becoming louder with each stroke. “You’ll stick around for me, won’t you?” Her smile grew as she watched the small cat curl up into a tighter ball on her chest. She had taken it among herself to steal him from Anders whenever she had the chance to. Relaxation was something that became scarce, so she was more than willing to spend it with an animal. 

When she spent time like this, it reminded her of the great times she had sitting around the campfire with Alistair and everyone else. She missed them. While she was able to keep in touch with Wynne and whenever Alistair had reached a point in his journey, he would certainly send her a message with some sort of strange love poem attached to it, it had become far more difficult to keep up with some of the others. Oghren had followed her to the Keep and now became a Grey Warden, of all things. She had tried to keep up with Zevran and Leliana as much as possible, but due to the nature of their work, it was almost impossible. 

The others seemed to fade off into nothing which she hadn’t been surprised about, especially when it came to Morrigan. She wasn’t too upset about that. 

She took a deep breath as she focused her attention on the cat on her stomach. 

Besides Alistair, everyone had drifted apart as they found their own way, but new friends had come in. 

“I’m lucky to have you, Sir Pounce-A-Lot.” Meredith picked up the cat and pulled him closer to her face, cuddling him closer. He meowed and snuggled into her face. 

“He’ll be far luckier to finish his breakfast before you steal him away,” A knowing voice spoke from behind her. Anders. Always ruining her fun. 

She pouted as she turned towards him, holding onto the cat tightly. “Awww, you can’t just steal him back. We’re cuddling!” 

Anders crossed his arms, his eyebrow raised as he smiled at her. “Both of you must report to your duties. Sir Pounce-A-Lot has a mighty big fish to eat and Seneschal Varel has been looking everywhere for you.” 

Meredith held the cat up to her face. “Maybe the two of us should run away together. Then no one will bother us! Would you like that?” 

“Mrow!” Sir Pounce-A-Lot squealed. Meredith giggled as she held him to her chest and stood. 

Anders shrugged as he pulled the cat out of her arms. “Sorry Commander, I really did try to hold him off for you.” 

“That’s quite alright, Anders.” She booped Sir Pounce-A-Lot’s nose. “I’ll be back for you after I deal with these mean ol’ people. They won’t keep us apart forever!” 

“Indeed they shan’t,” Anders chuckled.


	3. October Day 3 Favorite Origin

“I told you before and I won’t tell you again, keep your arms straight,” Fergus spoke as he popped her right arm. Immediately, Meredith straightened her arm, her hand gripping tighter on the bow. Despite the fact that Fergus had been circling her, Meredith kept her attention on the target a good few yards in front of them. “Good, good. Lift up your elbow.” She sighed. They had been at this for hours and despite the fact that her arms grew sore, she needed to keep at it. She had spent the better part of the year begging her brother to teach her how to shoot a bow and arrow and there was no way that she would squander it.

She held up her left elbow slightly. “How’s this?” 

“Good, now, whenever you’re ready, take a deep breath and shoot at the target.” Meredith didn’t need to see him to know that he was basically breathing down her neck. Nerves shot through her body as she tried to keep her eyes ahead. She took a deep breath, doing everything in her power to clear her mind as she focused. 

Fwip! 

The arrow soared a good bit past the target. Her shoulders slumped, immediately turning herself towards Fergus. “I’m never going to get this.” 

“You’re doing much better, but you’ll need to keep practicing if want to master it. He placed his hands over hers and mimicked her movements, forcing her back into stance. “When you shoot, you’ve been leaning to the right. It’s causing you to miss. Just try a little harder and you’ll get there,” Fergus winked at her, letting her go before moving back to grab another arrow. 

“I wanna be there now,” Meredith frowned. 

Fergus chuckled as he patted her on the back. “You’ll get there, now try again.” She nodded, raising her arms up to get ready for the next shot. “Good, now shoot.” 

The arrow released from her bow, easily hitting the last darkspawn square in the head. It fell to the ground with a thud, a smile spreading across her face as she made her way towards it. It seemed like every time she shot her bow now, all she could think of was Fergus. Her eyes scanned the field, her eyes softening as she thought of him and her family. She worried for him, Meredith was sure that she would find him safe and sound somewhere. 

She prayed that he made it out of Ostagar. 

It seemed like only yesterday she had taken those classes from her big brother. He never went easy on her and never treated her like anything other than one of his soldiers, much to her mother’s dismay. She had always told him that he should be more gentle when training, but he always ignored her. It was because of his strict training that she was able to shoot so well. She was grateful to him. While her mother had always hoped that she would be attracted to more lady-like ideas, she was a true Cousland. 

Now it seemed she was the only Cousland. 

While she pitied what happened to the Wardens, she felt no attachment to them. She could care less of the quest they were on to get this army together, but for now, she would use this opportunity to find Fergus. He was the only family she had left. He taught her everything she knew and now that she had no one, her shot was all that connected her to him.


	4. October Day 4 Humans

Meredith jolted awake, her head pounding from the sudden reaction.

Damn it. 

Pushing herself upwards, Meredith rubbed her eyes with her hands, doing whatever she could to try to wipe the visions from her mind. They were becoming more and more difficult for her to ignore and despite her attempts to try to move on and look forward, they continued to drag her attention back to Highever. She had to focus on Fergus. Remembering what happened was only going to hinder her more. 

“Is it the nightmares again?” Alistair asked, scooting over beside her. Meredith looked over at him. He forced a small smile on his face, but it quickly changed. While she cared little for this little journey he had put himself on, being around him definitely seemed to make some stress lift off her shoulders. He was good for a laugh or two if nothing else. 

“Yes, but not of the darkspawn. My family…” If it wasn’t the darkspawn that were haunting her nightmares, it was the thought of her parents being left behind. The decision to go with Duncan, it would probably haunt her the rest of her life. 

Alistair lowered his head. “I’m sorry…I’ve been so wrapped around Duncan that I forgot to see how you were doing. I wasn’t the only one who lost someone.” 

“It’s fine. I’m doing my best to focus on finding Fergus and then I plan to return the favour to the Howes.” She sighed as she thought about her brother. He was dealing with this alone just as she was and could only think about how he was handling all this. After all, he lost more than she did. Mom and dad, his wife and child…She had always been close to him and it killed her to think of him handling this alone. 

“I’m a little surprised you’re still around, actually. I kind of figured that as soon as we left the Wilds, you would be running for the hills to find your brother. Why stick around with me? Surely there’s a better way to look for him.” Alistair stumbled over his words, obviously worried about even putting the idea in her head. He had made it no secret that the thought of putting this army together was not something he was comfortable with. Leading people, even just the three of them, seemed to be difficult enough to leave him speechless. 

She had definitely thought about it. 

“I’m sure, I just…my entire life has been decided for me. My mother was strict about the woman I would become. It took all I had just to convince her to have Fergus train me, so I just…Obviously, I’m going to be a Grey Warden no matter what, but it’s nice to at least pretend I have options.” 

Alistair swallowed before opening his mouth again. He was definitely getting nervous as he continued to ask her questions. “And if we find your brother? What happens then?” 

“I guess I’ll decide that if we find him. Duncan saved my life…so the least I can do is stick around for a bit and try to figure this whole thing out.” Meredith grinned. “Whether I stay for the long run or not is a different question.” 

“I miss him. I wish he was here right now. He was the only person who believed in me and would definitely know what to do next in this situation. Instead, the Wardens are stuck with me, the bumbling idiot that can barely pull himself out of the tent in the morning let alone lead an army.” He paused for a moment before looking out over the camp. “I just wish he were here to give me some advice.” 

She looked over at him, searching for the words that would comfort him. She had the same fears not that long ago. Leading people, even a small city like Highever, it was never something that she wanted to take on. Despite the fact, her parents still pushed her. It was important for her to learn, but all of their teachings fell on deaf ears. She wanted nothing to do with it. 

“I’m not sure about Duncan, but my father used to say that it was better to try and fail then not try at all because that was when you truly failed. Growing up in Highever, he used to make me speak to some of the nobles that came to visit despite my age. He did whatever he could to at least attempt to get me used to the sensation of speaking to important people. Whatever he could think of to get me in the mindset that he wanted me to be in.” She shrugged, leaning against her knees as she stared into the fire. “Father always assumed that I would take on that role when the time came. I never wanted it. I would have given anything to be by Fergus’ side on the battlefield.” 

_Pup, there comes a time when you must put the needs of your people before your own. Confidence is key and the rest will come with time._

Meredith smiled as her father’s words rang throughout her mind. “You’ll get there. If you think of Ferelden and what you’re trying to accomplish, everything will work out.” She nudged his arm with her elbow. “You’re not a bumbling idiot. You’re more than well equipped to lead this nation. You just have to see it in yourself.” 

Alistair chuckled nervously. “Well, if time would come a little faster, that would be great.”


	5. October Day 5 Elves

“I am sorry that we can’t help you,” Zathrian spoke, a frown forming on his face. “We do not know much of your kind, so we are wary. As you can see, we have our own problem that has severely incapacitated my people. The Blight will have to wait.”

Alistair sighed. “That’s the thing though, the Blight can’t wait. It’s here, now, on our doorstep.” 

“The darkspawn have already taken over Lothering and they will spread. You could probably get away, but with your people this hurt, I doubt it,” Meredith crossed her arms, a smirk spreading across her face as she watched the old elf. 

“Surely, there is something we can do to gain your trust.” 

Zathrian stood quietly for a moment as he watched the small group. It wasn’t until his eyes fixated on Meredith’s bow that he spoke up again. “Are you a bowman?” Meredith nodded at his question. “Perhaps there is something you can do to gain our trust and support. We have a ritual when our hunters come of age. They must go into the forest and bring back the pelt of a beast they killed themselves. Due to some...personal issues, they have not been permitted to go into the wilderness. If you prove yourself worthy and gain our respect with the bow, perhaps we will hear you.” 

Alistair turned to her, cupping his hands together and pleaded with her. “Pleeeease?” 

Meredith watched him, a smile sliding across her face. It was becoming more and more obvious that he was going to continue this tradition. Would he really step up when she wasn’t around anymore? She rolled her eyes, focusing her attention back on Zathrian. “Really? That’s all you want me to do?” Meredith scoffed and shrugged. “We’ve been killing things all day, surely one more beast can’t hurt.” 

“Splendid. You will only be allowed to bring your bow with you in the wilderness and remember, you must do it yourself. Your friends are not permitted to help you.” Zathrian spoke, placing both hands behind his back as he watched the group. 

“You guys just stay here, I’ll handle this,” Meredith said, putting a hand up. “i’ll be back in a few moments, don’t go anywhere.” 

She took a deep breath, pulling the bow off her back as she headed into the wilderness. The Dalish were something else. She had seen plenty of elves before when she and her father visited the Alienage, but this was her first time encountering a Dalish clan. She had heard that they could be difficult and it seemed that they lived up to their expectations. 

Though, this was a relatively simple task, especially for a coming-of-age type event. She didn’t quite understand it, but she would have to play along at least for the moment. 

She was more surprised at the lack of support that these people brought, despite being summoned by the Grey Wardens. They had signed the treaties, so what was the issue? Why was this becoming more difficult by the minute? Whenever she had heard stories of the Grey Wardens, it was always with stories of hope and strength. People in Highever, especially her parents, seemed to adore them. Why did it seem like there was more to all of this? 

Meredith was becoming more curious with each step they took. 

Perhaps this would be worth sticking around to find out.


	6. October Day 6 Dwarves

Meredith’s jaw dropped as she walked through the front gates of Orzammar. She had heard about this grand city before when her father explained it to her, but she had never dreamed that she would see it in person. “Wow, this place is incredible.” She looked at the giant paragon statues as she walked through the corridor, Alistair walking up behind her.

“I never thought I would actually see these halls in person,” He spoke as he placed his hands on one of the statues. 

Meredith smiled. “I never would have thought that there would be an actual city under the ground. When I heard about it from my father, I just thought maybe it was in a cave or something, not like this…” 

“Are you two certain that gawking at the scenery is a good idea? We’re only drawing more attention to ourselves.” Morrigan sneered from behind them. Meredith turned to her and shrugged. 

“I’ve just never seen a place like this.” 

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you when they start pushing you along,” Morrigan rolled her eyes and started walking further into the corridor. 

“I hate to say it, but maybe she’s right. We should move along,” Alistair said as he followed along after her. “Are you coming?” 

Meredith touched the stone as she gazed up at the paragon. “Yeah, just…give me a minute.” Alistair nodded as he ran to catch up with Morrigan and Sten, who had been particularly quiet through this entire area. 

Her fingers followed the curve of the stone as she looked at the face more closely. She had always been interested in other cultures pantheons and the fact that dwarves only seemed to worship their ancestors was something she was definitely fascinated by. She had always hoped that she could come and learn more from the city itself and now it seemed like this would be her big chance. 

“Hey!” A gruff voice sounded from behind her. The voice caught her attention as she turned to look at a man who seemed to hold a good deal of authority if his clothes had anything to say. “No touching. Those are priceless statues and there’s no way I’m going to let some surface-dweller is going put their grubby little hands all over them.” 

“Sorry…” Meredith said, pulling her hands away from them. 

The dwarf turned and grumbled as he walked away. She could only catch a few words, but none of them were worth repeating. Meredith kept her eyes on the statues but continued to chase after her party. Perhaps it was better to focus on the task at hand. She would ask her questions later.


End file.
